Ojomoh Delivers Sparkling Moment for England to Signify Emergence on Big Stage.
This marks a interesting aspect of England's November perfect record that no new players earned their international debut throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.
Standout Display in Tight Win
Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the autumn. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, capping off a fine first outing at the home stadium for the young player.
Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that every manager desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.
Quick Rise and Future Opportunities
It is just a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be given to the young star is that the coach may have to reconsider. He was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.
- Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and midfield.
- Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
- Timely Impact: Delivered when others were unavailable.
Squad Background and Wider Implications
Where might the team have been against their opponents without him? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. England experienced an natural decline in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach should have made more changes.
Some perspective is required, though. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to bring much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and the situation look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.
Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy
Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.
This is an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, avoiding the difficult start that affected the team in the past.
Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the quality of England's bench. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.